Thread: Why not to use 'pg_ctl start -D ../data' to register posgtresql windows service

Hi, Hackers!
 Nowadays, I always got problem about postgresql windows service.
I find, postgresql usually use the following command to register windows
services:
/"D:\Program Files (x86)\PostgreSQL\9.4\bin\pg_ctl.exe" runservice -N
"postgresql-9.4" -D "D:\Program Files (x86)\PostgreSQL\9.4\data" -w/  But this command always failed, beacause of user
privilege,just as a
 
topic described: 
http://postgresql.nabble.com/pg-ctl-could-not-start-service-quot-pgsql-8-2-quot-error-code-1063-td1880801.html#a1880802
While'pg_ctl start -D ../data' works well, why not to use this command to
 
register postgresql windows service? why to use 'pg_ctl runservice -N "psql"
-D ".../data"' ? This is really confused me when I use postgresql in
windows.
  Hope to hear from you!  Regards!    Liu Yuanyuan




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On Mon, Nov 2, 2015 at 2:54 PM, YuanyuanLiu <liuyuanyuangogo@gmail.com> wrote:
>   Nowadays, I always got problem about postgresql windows service.
> I find, postgresql usually use the following command to register windows
> services:
> /"D:\Program Files (x86)\PostgreSQL\9.4\bin\pg_ctl.exe" runservice -N
> "postgresql-9.4" -D "D:\Program Files (x86)\PostgreSQL\9.4\data" -w/
>    But this command always failed, beacause of user privilege, just as a
> topic described:
>
http://postgresql.nabble.com/pg-ctl-could-not-start-service-quot-pgsql-8-2-quot-error-code-1063-td1880801.html#a1880802
>   While 'pg_ctl start -D ../data' works well, why not to use this command to
> register postgresql windows service? why to use 'pg_ctl runservice -N "psql"
> -D ".../data"' ? This is really confused me when I use postgresql in
> windows.

runservice is not a command that is aimed to be run manually, and
that's what your link above refers to. A service should be registered
using register, then you should use sc to start the service if you are
doing it manually (you may do it automatically that's the default
behavior then there is no need to use sc):
pg_ctl register -N pg_service_name -D %PGDATA% -S demand
sc start pg_service_name

Now we could make the code more complicated in the start path to
support that. And some users may want to be able to start a server on
Windows without having to set up a service that lasts only for the
time of a session. For example sometimes I do so for testing purposes.
So that's quite handy to not rely on the Windows SCM in this case.
-- 
Michael

Hi, Michael!
Thanks for your reply!

I knew that postgresql windows service is made by "pg_ctl register -N
serviceName -D dataPath".
And  command from service, like "D:\Program Files
(x86)\PostgreSQL\9.4\bin\pg_ctl.exe" runservice -N "postgres-9.4" -D
"D:\Program Files (x86)\PostgreSQL\9.4\data", cannot run manually like
command line.

I have a conclusion:
When we registered postgresql windows service named "postgres-9.4",
we can start the postgresql server by manually  starting the windows service
, runing command "net stop postgres-9.4" (need user with administrator
privilege), or runing command "pg_ctl start -D ../path/to/data".
The started postgresql service must be stopped in the same session.
Is this right ?

Looking forward to your reply!
Regard!
Liu Yuanyuan






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On Mon, Nov 2, 2015 at 4:27 PM, YuanyuanLiu <liuyuanyuangogo@gmail.com> wrote:
> When we registered postgresql windows service named "postgres-9.4",
> we can start the postgresql server by manually  starting the windows service
> , runing command "net stop postgres-9.4" (need user with administrator
> privilege), or runing command "pg_ctl start -D ../path/to/data".

Yep. Those are two examples to stop a registered service. You could
use "sc stop postgres-9.4" as well. Note also that when a service
registered is stopped with pg_ctl, SCM will recognize that the service
has been stopped.

> The started postgresql service must be stopped in the same session.
> Is this right ?

When a service has been registered to the Windows SCM, a service
started with sc or net will persist even if the prompt that started it
is closed. Now, if you start a service with "pg_ctl start -d data",
even if the service is registered it will *not* by recognized by SCM
as started. And this one will stop immediately once the prompt that
started it is closed.
-- 
Michael

On Mon, Nov 2, 2015 at 9:30 PM, Michael Paquier
<michael.paquier@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 2, 2015 at 4:27 PM, YuanyuanLiu <liuyuanyuangogo@gmail.com> wrote:
>> When we registered postgresql windows service named "postgres-9.4",
>> we can start the postgresql server by manually  starting the windows service
>> , runing command "net stop postgres-9.4" (need user with administrator
>> privilege), or runing command "pg_ctl start -D ../path/to/data".

I think you mean "net start" to start the server here and not "net stop".

> Yep. Those are two examples to stop a registered service. You could
> use "sc stop postgres-9.4" as well. Note also that when a service
> registered is stopped with pg_ctl, SCM will recognize that the service
> has been stopped.

Er... I interpreted "start" by "stop" reading your last sentence.
Please ignore this paragraph.
-- 
Michael

Yup, I think I totally understand now,  the registered postgres service is
different from  "pg_ctl start".  To start the postgres windows service needs privileged prompt (to execute
net or sc command) or manually(start or stop in windows service list).After
the service is started, it can be recognized by the SCM and will persist
even if the prompt that started it is closed.  While,  using "pg_ctl start " needn't privileged prompt(normally prompt
also ok), but after a service started, it cannot recognized by the SCM and
will stop immediatlly when the prompt that started it is closed.  I think registering postgres windows service is aim
topersist the
 
service when the prompt that started it need to be closed.    I really learned a lot from you, and thank you!
Regards!

Liu Yuanyuan




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On Tue, Nov 3, 2015 at 10:46 AM, YuanyuanLiu wrote:
>    I really learned a lot from you, and thank you!

By the way, in the future you may want to ask general questions to
pgsql-general, pgsql-hackers is where new features are being discussed
and where technical discussions happen :)
-- 
Michael

Ok, Michael! Thanks for your kindly remind!

Regards!
Liu Yuanyuan



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